Improvement in hats



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANL. K. ALBRIGHT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND LEO H. DE LANGE, OF BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,222, dated 311110. 13, 1865- of a hat nearthe brim, so that an annularspace may be formed within the enlargement, and a thorough`ventilationoftheh'at thereby insured.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make our invention, we will now proceed to describe the manner of constructing the same.

On reference tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a section of our improved hat; Fig. 2, an inverted plan View.; Fig. 3, asection of part of the hat drawn to 4an enlarged scale, and Fig.r

4' a sectional view of a modifica-tion of our invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

On reference to Figs. l, 2, and 3, A represents the body, and B the brim, of the hat, which may be made ot' felted fabric and lined in the usual manner.

D is the head-band, consisting in the present instance of a strip of thin steel bent to iit the wearers head, the strip being covered with leather or suitable fabric, and being connected to the brim by a series ot' thin steel strips,a., Fig. 2, and the upper edge ofthe band being connected by similar steel strips, b, to the body of the hat.

At a2, where the body of the hat meets the brim, the former is enlarged in diameter, the enlargement from the point 2 to the point 3, Fig. 1, being ofthe rounded form shown, orit may be of any other form which will allow an open space, y, between the band and body of the hat.

It will be seen that, while the elastic band will yield and accommodate itself to the form of the wearers head, the annular opening permits the free admission of air into and its circulation within the interior of the hat, the strips a and b presenting no material obstruct tion to this free admission of air.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 4 the upper edge ofthe elastic head-band is in contact with the interior of the body of the hat, the body being enlarged, as before, so as to leave an annular space, y, into which air is admitted through openings m, and from which the air passes, through openings a, into the body of the hat, above the wearers head.

Many attempts have been made to construct hats through the interior of which air might circulate. Corrugated bands, for instance, have been used, and elastic strips bearing against the forehead in such a manner and so arranged that there shall be a narrow space for the admission of air between the band and the hat.

vIn all the Ventilating-hats heretofore made the openings for the passage ot' air have been so contracted that the ventilation was imperfect compared with that effected by the arrangement described above, which reduces the hat orcap to a simple shelter against rain and the rays ot' the sun, the wearers head being in contact with the band only, and all other portions ot' the hat maintained at such a distance from the head that the latter is almost as much exposed tothe external air as though I the hat were absent.

Thin steel, brass, hard rubber, and other materials may be used for the band and connecting-strips, which can be attached to straw or cloth hats, as well as to those made of felt.

Without confining ourselves to any specic material of which to make the body, brim, or

elastic band or strips of the hat, we claim as DANL. K. ALBJRIGHT. LEO H. DE LANGE.

Witnesses CHARLEs E. FOSTER, J oHN WHITE. 

